fogelhund - 14 May 2008 05:49 PM

The IS350 was Normally Aspirated, and was intended to be raced in the S2 category of GT2 for IMSA. They lost out neither interest, nor money, but were asked by outside forces to quit the ALMS project.

Really? I read on the World Challenge page that Ron Holland (who planned to run the Lexus in the WCGT series) said his cars are the Lexus ALMS project cars and they come with turbos...Maybe he modified them...I don't know...

When you have Viper, Vette, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and the trusty Porsche 911 in GT2, there is no longer a real need for GT1. RIP GT1.

One solution was offered to help out GT1 as well as prototypes. This was an idea to merge GT1 with LMP1 into a class known as "LMP1 Evo." Or as noted from the June 2008 edition of [U]Automobile[/U] magazine:

[I]"...a new top category tenatively called LMP1 Evo. In essence, this is the merger of today's LMP1 and GT1 classes, with two goals in mind. The first goal is to reduce speeds down to less than the 145-mph lap average exceeded in last year's twenty-four-hour race. The second is to shift appearances from fendered formula cars to racy road cars. ..."

-source: [U]Automobile[/U] magazine, June 2008 edition, page 65[/I]


However, such a plan for LMP1 Evo has been cancelled from a few websites I've looked at. So I guess you won't see such cars like the one below. The car below is what a mid-engined Corvette C7R would look like to keep true with the LMP1 Evo specifications:





Grand Touring 1 is a dying breed in the ALMS (not sure about the LMS). Had this LMP1 + GT1 combination work, do you think this LMP1 Evo could help both GT and prototype? Or would something have to be done to get more GT1 competition even if mostly privateers with outdated cars?

PainterDude - 14 May 2008 11:41 PM

When you have Viper, Vette, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and the trusty Porsche 911 in GT2, there is no longer a real need for GT1. RIP GT1.

That is a matter of opinion, and I heartily disagree with it!! Viva la GT-1

JohnM - 15 May 2008 12:22 AM

One solution was offered to help out GT1 as well as prototypes. This was an idea to merge GT1 with LMP1 into a class known as "LMP1 Evo." Or as noted from the June 2008 edition of [U]Automobile[/U] magazine:

[I]"...a new top category tenatively called LMP1 Evo. In essence, this is the merger of today's LMP1 and GT1 classes, with two goals in mind. The first goal is to reduce speeds down to less than the 145-mph lap average exceeded in last year's twenty-four-hour race. The second is to shift appearances from fendered formula cars to racy road cars. ..."

-source: [U]Automobile[/U] magazine, June 2008 edition, page 65[/I]


However, such a plan for LMP1 Evo has been cancelled from a few websites I've looked at. So I guess you won't see such cars like the one below. The car below is what a mid-engined Corvette C7R would look like to keep true with the LMP1 Evo specifications:





Grand Touring 1 is a dying breed in the ALMS (not sure about the LMS). Had this LMP1 + GT1 combination work, do you think this LMP1 Evo could help both GT and prototype? Or would something have to be done to get more GT1 competition even if mostly privateers with outdated cars?

"EVO" has not been cancelled! It is "EVO"lving and will be more inclusive than the originally hinted at proposal from the ACO.

As one of the biggest fans and supporters of the GT1 class, I believe you are seeing the end of an era.

1) There are 4 Saleen's in the FIA GT (3 in GT1, 1 in G2)

Since its likely you haven't seen the Tourist Trophy FIA GT race from Silverstone last month, its likely you have not seen EXCELLENT GT1 racing.

Europe has largely followed Mr Ratel's vision of GT racing with proposed move the current GT2 cars up to GT1 level, basically an evolution not a revolution like Grand Am. From there bump up GT3 cars to "Professional" level racing.

ACO is mainly concerned with Prototypes and has only stated it would like to reduce the cost of production based racing car, they have no outlined how they plan to accomplish that.

GT1 cars have always been expensive to build and run; mainly the domain of specialty manufactures and OEM's with rich sportscar racing backgrounds.

GM has recently pulled the plug on any EVO or P1 program that Pratt & Miller had in mind.

Corvette racing has a decision to make, but they won't have to make it until 2010. Likely they'll stay in GT's with a GT2 as you know it now based car.

Lexus while known has a luxo manufacture in competition with Benz and BMW, has finally realized they need some performance cars in their lineup to compete with the M division and AMG division. The LF-A is Lexus' "Halo" sportscar, but Toyota is likely to return with a hybrid/kers based car.

Back to Voltron...

fogelhund - 14 May 2008 02:23 PM

JagBro9 - 14 May 2008 07:01 AM

With the Japanese manufacturers in mind, none of them offer a car that would be a serious challenge to either the Corvette or the Aston Martin. The Nissan Z would be hopelessly underpowered; Lexus is mostly a personal/luxury division of Toyota. I'd be quicker to believe you'd see them in GT2. Mazda's RX8 would be a natural and the Nissan would have a better chance. And forget about the GT-R and its all-wheel-drive. It won't happen.

The new Lexus LF-1, the Nissan GT-R and the upcoming Acura NSX (V10) replacement would all be suitable for GT1. At least two of those cars have been considered to be GT1 entries, though the GT-R was shelved by Nissan (nothing to do with the all-wheel drive).

Granted, but we're looking at a series that needs help now, not in another year or so. There was some talk - and I think it could be confirmed - that Risi had hoped to run a Ferrari 599 GTB in GT1, but Maranello didn't like the idea and put the lid on it.

So what is the real story behind the long Aston absence this year? Shouldn't the car have been repaired and back on track by now?!
I'm not saying they're going to win agains the vettes, but I'd still like to see SOME competition.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-pruetts-thursday-utah-blog/

There's a bigger reason apparently.

Either it's really good news and they have a more competative car.

Or they're folding.

As someone noted, the EVO class will come on line in the next 2 years or so and that will be where the GT1 class truly moves. I think that this is the correct solution to the problem. Why spend so much money making a fire breathing GT1 car, when it has no chance at an overall win? Spending the same amount of money to compete for the overall works, as well as spending less money to be a part of a production class like GT2. GT1 as it lives and breathes today was moribund from the day of its conception. In the late 90's the GT1 class had the Panoz roadster and the Porsche 911Evo or whatever it was called. Those cars were able to mix it up with the WSC cars. As the classes changed, the P1's became more powerful and the GT1's became less. This led to a great rivalry between Viper and Corvette, but outside of that the class didn't have anything to offer. This soon became Vette/Saleen and then Vette/Ferrari and then Vette/Aston Martin, always pretty much a 2 on 2 fight between factories. It has never offered anything to privateers, and the ROI has been low to the point that outside of Pratt and Miller/GM, no other group has wanted to compete for more than a year or two. I would love to see the day where there are present day P2's in both open and closed cockpit configurations and closed top EVO's competing for overall, and a thriving GT2 as it exists today competing for top production class. You will have exotic looking prototypes competing against production looking race cars with names like Audi, Peugeot, GM, Porsche, Aston Martin, Acura, and Mazda all squaring off, perhaps having two of each car class so that they are not left at a disadvantage, then you have all the regulars in GT2, which has now become the class to be in for close competition.